Philadelphia 76ers: Bynum jogging, still clamoring for return

He’s been on the hardwood for the last week, stepping up his on-court workouts gradually in recent days. And he even participated in shootaround Monday, his first of the season.

“If the treadmill would stop breaking down, I might be able to do a little bit more,” Bynum said jokingly. “So I’m doing well.”

The 76ers’ injured big man, who continues to work back from a pair of bilateral knee bone bruises that have kept him out all season, still is targeting the All-Star break for his debut with the team. His workouts have expanded, from low-impact stuff to actual basketball activity, though he’s yet to run without the assistance of the anti-gravity treadmill he’s been using to lessen the load on his afflicted joints.

Naturally, the urge to do as much as possible has crept in.

“I want (my rehab) to go smoothly. I don’t want any setbacks,” Bynum said, “so I want to run on the court and do all those things, but I’m going to let the team and the doctors tell me exactly when to take the next step, because if I go out there, I’ll do something stupid.”

The latest development in Bynum’s rehab is that he’s jogging to spots on the floor for shot attempts. There’s very little (if any) jumping involved. His workouts mostly have featured post moves, baseline work and moving elbow to elbow on the floor, Bynum said.

He said he’s not sure when he’ll graduate to the next step of his rehab — incorporating lateral movement. Team physician Jack McPhilemy attended Sunday’s practice at PCOM, Bynum said, “to make sure I’m not noticeably limping.”

“Obviously, again, I still haven’t done lateral movement. That’ll be the biggest test,” Bynum said. “Cutting is the last thing to do, and I’m building up to that slowly but surely.”

When he’s allowed to begin running on the court, Bynum anticipates a struggle.

“Obviously, it’s going to be bad,” he said. “I’m going to continue to run. I’m also running with less weight (on the anti-gravity machine). Once that gets to 100 (no weightlessness) and gets to the court, that’s when it’ll really improve.”

Bynum hasn’t played competitively since last May, in the Western Conference semifinals with the Los Angeles Lakers. With Bynum out, the Sixers have struggled to stay afloat. Having traded for the all-star center in August, they expected more than 17 wins at the midpoint of the season.

Speaking of expectations, Bynum doesn’t have any for the offseason. He’s in the final year of his contract and there’s sure to be a team out there — even if it’s not the Sixers — that’s willing to offer him a maximum contract.

Bynum contends that returning to the floor in order to maximize his offseason value hasn’t crossed his mind.

“I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest. I just want to get back,” he said. “That’s all I’m thinking about. Once my first game comes, I’m going to play really hard, and just play like it could be gone tomorrow.”

Jason Richardson missed the game against the Spurs, citing synovitis in his left knee as the cause. Last week, the shooting guard had 20 CCs of fluid drained from the knee, though it didn’t keep him from Friday’s win over Toronto.